Marketeering

iI there is one thing that people in central Pennsylvania are good at doing, it is going to markets. The benefit of going to markets is that you can meet a lot of humble people that have worked their fingers into the Earth to provide a quality product free of contaminants and pesticides. It will also make some friends just by interacting with these people, and understand that there really is a subculture behind going to Market.

Now, some of you may think that it is odd for me to be talking about going to Market on a travel blog. However, this is also a culture blog, and I will be talking about stories from people and places. And in central Pennsylvania, this is one of the closest things to culture that we have (save the Amish).

In central Pennsylvania, there are lots of large markets that are open on various days of the week. In my hometown of York, there are three major markets; Central Market, Penn market, and Eastern Market. central Market, Penn market, and eastern Market.  Central Market is open from 7 to 3 on Tuesday Thursday and Friday, and features a lot of locally grown fruits, Agriculture, and spices. They also have a few nice cafes. Pain Market has similarities but focuses more on Antiques and old time things, and is open every Tuesday Friday and Saturday from 7 to 3. Eastern Market has a big emphasis on buying in bulk, and is open every Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Where is a flea market and Farmers Market open every weekend from about 6:30 to 3 or 4 depending on what stalls you go to. They have a big emphasis on fair trade and supporting the community.

Further away from me are Green Dragon and Roots, with Roots being open on Tuesdays and Green Dragon being open on Friday's all day. Both are run largely by the Amish, but have a lot of other individuals that come and sell their Wares. Further out is burkholder's in Renningers, which are both also open on various parts of the week. Depending on how you play your schedule, you can essentially visit a different Market within an hour drive one another every single day of the week and spend your entire day there.

If you see this sign, you'll know you're in the right area for GD.

When preparing to initiate in the market going culture, you must bear in mind timeliness and money. If you go earlier in the day there will be more products, but if you go later in the day, whatever products that are left, you will be more likely to get for a cheaper rate, as the farmers and salesman do not want their products to go to waste until the next week. For instance, I got a free pound of turnips and rhubarb when I shopped at Green Dragon because the Mennonite Farmers that were selling them running low on time and energy and trying to get home. However, one of the spice stalls cinnamon sticks ran out by noon, which meant that I had to get up closer to 6:30 to get there early enough. Whatever you do, make sure that you bring plenty of cash, and bring it in paper form. Although some Market Salesman take credit card, a majority of them rely on paper currency sales, as it is their non taxable portion of their income that they rely on.

Although there is now a growing initiative to promote local businesses and product producers such as farmers and Craftsmen, it is still a daily struggle for many more than you might think. Most of a farmer's income comes directly from the products he is able to produce, and as such, their lives are pretty much tethered to their farms and living as cheaply as possible. You can read my post on supporting local businesses to get a clearer idea of why Market culture is so important.

iI you have a growing list of products to pick up and you want to spend less but get a good quality, then I highly recommend going to a local market near you. It doesn't have to be any of the markets in York Pennsylvania, as there are plenty of markets and every corner of the globe. But, for the same reasons listed in my other post, supporting the market culture is a sure-fire way to make connections and induce happiness.

How to Travel on a Budget

The older I've gotten, the more my Wanderlust has grown. And as such, I've taken more and more trips, both domestic and abroad. Respectively, people have asked me how I go about doing it, knowing that I never necessarily worked in a high-paying job during and after my undergraduate years of college. Once you learn the secrets to budgeting, it isn't all that difficult. And today, I'm here to show you some tips and tricks on how to do it.

1) Make a list of places that you would like to go.

This part of the process is fairly intuitive. Before you step outside your front door, it's important to know where you think you'd like to go. Start by compiling a list of places that you would like to visit, and fines out what some of there average prices are for items. Websites like blank will help you determine the average cost of items as it Stacks up to your hometown so you can prepare accordingly.

2) Establish connections online and some of these locations.

If you are like me when I was younger, then you likely have played a lot of online video games. Guess what? This is one of the best ways to meet new people from different places. Every time you add somebody on Xbox, put them on your friends list after a friendly conversation on RuneScape, or play successful game of OverWatch, you will make a new connection in another part of the world. Sometimes, that is all it takes as well. If you go to school, you can meet potential travel destinations by getting involved with school clubs, especially ones that involve multiculturalism and students of different ethnic or faith backgrounds. From there, you can ask to be introduced to their friends, send them an email correspondence, and get the ball rolling wherever they live as well. And if this isn't enough for you to meet people, there are hundreds of websites online the people used to meet people, especially penpals. Through one penpal website, I met a girl from Russia, a guy from Denmark, a girl from Morocco, and two girls from China.

3) Travel around the deals.

Now that you have a reason to go and potentially a person to visit, it's time to book your flight. Or, to hop in your car. Either way around, there are lots of travel web sites out there that offer deals on a frequent basis. If you follow other travel agents and travel bloggers, they will likely link you to website or two that they use that has good deals as well. Going somewhere you slightly want to go to that is on sale vs going somewhere you really want to go that isn't quite in the off-season can be the difference of hundreds of dollars.

4) Find cheap lodging, which can lead to other Connections in other places.

Although several travel websites and flight pages will offer you combined housing/car rental/flight packages, it is often more efficient to do the app for mentioned your own way. Regardless, you will be paying for luggage separate most of the time, and you will be paying an insurance deposit for your rental car regardless. Hotels can also quickly rack up the bill. Globalfreeloaders.com and couchsurfing.com are two websites in which you list your couch or spare room to host guests and visitors, and in return, they extend the favor to you. Hostelworld.com is a comprehensive list of 35,000 hostels around the globe, and also provides information on what their bloggers have found around the world. Airbnb are two of my personal favorites, as they let you rent out a private room in somebody's home. There is also the option of staying at a farm (typically running price is between $80-$100/night) or at a monastery (you can find alot of places for $40 a night or so).

5) engage in work travel jobs.

I have met up with a couple of people that have traveled the world's, done really cool things, and developed amazing friendships, all due to traveler jobs. There are several web sites out there that I used to subscribe to in regards to this. Workaway is the website where you are able to trade services with somebody in exchange for room and board, and some places will give you a stipend as well. Some allow you to be a nanny or an Au Pair in exchange for room and board. Going through TEFL, you to become certified to teach English as a foreign language, what you can become a lifelong career for some people. Certain companies well also provide you with these opportunities. For instance, I interviewed with English first and Ameson Year in China, and both companies would have paid for a flight to China, got me certified to teach, and also give you half a year worth of rudimentary Mandarin Chinese, as well as a stipend for travel alongside your salary.

6)Undershoot on what you need to buy to survive.

If you're traveling on a budget, you likely are okay nixing some of home's comforts. That being said, a fast food sandwich and store brand apple juice will do just as fine as a fancy lunch that doesn't fill you up near as much. Try to bring as many things as you possibly can from him outside of perishable and not exportable items, such as food and certain liquids and medicines, and only by what you absolutely need. The exception to this rule is if you are planning on doing a food tour of some sort, or going on at or where food is included. There are plenty of web sites out there that advertise discounted travel fair and tour guides. That being said, if you know that you can survive on a very minimalist diet while you are traveling, it will serve you well in the long run financially.

7) Always - and I mean ALWAYS - Take advantage of free and discounted items.

Using coupon books bought at airports as well as Groupon has saved me a plethora of precious cash, as I found coupons for lodging, food, parking, entertainment at night, taxis, and pretty much anything else you can think of. There are several other websites like Groupon that you can subscribe to that all have discounted where's and fares. Also take full advantage of the hospitality of others. When I was in Cleveland, I got free breakfast because I meditated with the Harris. And Iceland, I talked to the owner of the restaurant I went to, and because he likes my interested in his business and personality, I got two free beers at his second restaurant out of the deal. Never turn down free for anything, and also remember the one you least expect it, the free things will come to you.

7)As Shia LaBeouf once said, quite literally, "Just Do It. Don't let your dreams be dreams."

I know several individuals who are traveling the world full time, and they aren't rich. They're finding websites like this one or this one for temporary work, offering their skills, and just going out and doing it.

Here's a case study for you: If I chose to drive up to Poughkeepsie New York instead of fly up, the flight would have been $200 more expensive then the tank and a half of gas that it cost me to get there and around. I met a connection at College, who happens to be my girlfriend at the time, and they put me up for a few nights for free. In exchange for a couple hours of music, I got two nights worth of dinner and some wine. I utilized their knowledge of New York and New York City to navigate for all of the deals, which included a beautiful lunch at a Foods truck stop for cheap one morning. Breakfast every morning was cheap, as I went out and bought a small container of granola, as well as having some eggs that they had at the house for me. We utilized the dads Commerce miles on the subway to get a cheap parking pass at the cheapest subway station by her house, and bought a one-way pass into New York City at student rate. In New York City, we went to as many free exhibits and stores that we could to see things and Window Shop. We returned home with another one way ticket, since this option was more cost-efficient than buying an all day pass.

End result - keep in mind some of these tips and tricks, and you will succeed at planning your adventures. I'm going to reflect upon one of my trips, specifically when I took my first solo trip up to New York.

Run like the Tarahumara

Rarámuri, also known as the Tarahumara tribe drama descended from the Mongollan (Uto-Aztecan) culture after 300 ad and descended into the Canyons of Chihuahua, Mexico, in the 1400s after the Conquistadors came. they quickly found their Nish as Trail runners and Messengers between tribes in different parts of the valleys and canyons, author name translates to tribe of the running feet. The average cross-country athlete trains 50 km a day and is in pain and Agony afterwards. The people of the Tarahumara tribe find Blissful joy and running, are always smiling when they are competing in there long distance races Tama and can train up to a hundred kilometers per day without injury or pain. with myself being an avid hiker, this long distance endurance thing really appeals to me personally, and so I decided to look further into it. I watched a few miniature documentaries Chelsea what they were doing differently compared to the rest of the world. here's what I noticed:

1) They were either flimsy running sandals or Nothing at All.

The Tarahumara believe in grounding, which means getting positive ions from the surface of the Earth as they run. Studies have been done to show the barefoot running improves body circulation and reduce the stress levels. Of course, being somebody that has run their foot on gravel before, I can't imagine running Barefoot through the woods or rocky Canyons should be all that comfortable. however, it is something that we should try, as it is part of their success and their happiness and overall well-being.

2) They are strictly nose breathers.

They take long breaths in, long drags out, and do it almost exclusively through their nasal passage. Their mouth is used instead for smiling, which I will get to in just a second.

By going against the grain of "in through the nose, out through the mouth", you allow more nitric oxide to build up in your nose, which boost your energy and testosterone levels, and allows anaerobic respiration to take place in your body, which will process toxins in your fat cells more. Strictly nose breathing during intense exercise and depriving the body of excess oxygen is quite similar to altitude training. And for an even better workout, you can cover your face with a surgical mask or cloth, which will allow even less oxygen in. Carbon dioxide is not the enemy here.

3) They find joy in running.

Running is their lifeblood, and they always look forward to their daily exercise. Instead of meeting it with Agony, they meet it with a smile. As they pass other trail runners, they are smiling and carrying on. Similarly, they travel light and are ready to break into a run or adventure at any time.

4) Group participation is key.

Studies show that running as part of a group not only promotes Esprit de corps, but boosts your engagement levels as well. The Tarahumara tribe always runs as part of a group, because they believe then no race and life is ever run for sole proprietorship.

5) let your heels heal.

Even though they do quite a good bit of running, they never run using their heels of their feet. Instead, they bounce in a Spring Lake motion off of the balls and front part of their feet, which continuously propels them forward with minimal effort and injury. When studying this foot strike, researchers soon learned that it was an essential part of maintaining Wellness whilst out on the trails running. stepping on the hill and rolling the foot and traces strain in the lower back and the ankles, whereas using only the balls of their feet about full impact and transfer of energy between the ground in the foot.

6) Waste no time or energy.

In both running and field work, the Tarahumara believe in the conservation of energy. When they are running very long distances with no breaks all day long with minimal calories, every single bit of energy intake and output matters. As soon as break time is called, all of them immediately sit down and rest. When they are running, they're keeping a steady pace, as it allows the most consistent burn of energy.

7) Go hard.

The Tarahumara are hard workers, always brewing homemade corn beer like tecate or tesguino, and find no shame in their culture of beer and work. although they remain poor financially, they are rich in soul and life simple, steadfast lives. They worked, farmed, ran, and partied hard, and still never looked beat after a 50 mile race.

At the end of the day, this is a tribe of incredible super humans that are very gifted in the art of long-distance travel and running. Individuals of any age and exercise backgrounds can take something away from their way of life in their approach to getting things done.

Into The Rockies

In the middle of August, I decided to visit a friend from undergrad in Colorado, as he was recently transferred to for his job. working for a large security firm meant that he would be at work four of the six days that I was visiting, but this didn't really bother me that much. I always wanted to see the mountains of Colorado, and to see what life was like in the highest state in the United States (no pun intended). And so, even though my airplane was delayed by 2 hours due to maintenance problems, I finally made it to Denver International Airport, and then around 2 in the morning, passed out cold in my friend's apartment in Highland Ranch.

My roommate for the week to come.

On the first day, I decided to challenge myself by walking 1/2 hour to the nearest mall. the air was thick and dry, as I would expect from any state that was set high in the mountains. I also, for some reason, I thought that it would be cold outside, but I was sadly mistaken. And so, I found myself walking past the Children's Hospital near my friend's apartment, and walking through the Windcrest area of Highlands Ranch to get to the local mall. From here, I would do some light shopping, and then proceed to take Uber and Lyft all around town.

As I was walking to the Bakery in which I stopped to get coffee, I heard a car drive by with four very stoned individuals who asked me to flash them. As I exited the coffee shop, I saw the same individuals once more. I pretended to flash them both times, and it made their day. Such are the strange individuals of the highest state.

Next, I took my first Lyft ride in my entire life with a guy by the name of Kenny. He was a very laid-back guy from Southern Colorado who took me to the Littleton Museum, for I learned about the agricultural advances in this area, and where I could also set up on the Gallup Gardens, a small outdoor plant gallery.

What a farm looked like in 1860, before the railroad.

Inside the museum, I was greeted with a plethora of information and a warm invitation to see the to farm exhibits. Although the Farms are only thirty years apart, they were vastly different because of the invention of the railroad. I saw live animals, with volunteer Farm keeps, a volunteer blacksmith, and several informative galleries, including a plethora of propaganda from World War 1.

After the railroad came, houses modernised (ca. 1890).

After indulging the museum and getting trip suggestions from a lady, i decided to check out the nearest dispensary. a 50 minute walk later, i was looking at enough cannabinoids to kill Willie Nelson. the guy I talk to was a sweetheart, and came up from North Carolina himself to experience the state. I bought a sample, pipe, and a lighter and headed back to my friend's apartment.

to round out a beautiful and action filled day, I found myself hiking about 2 miles uphill in Deer Creek Canyon Park just outside of Highlands Ranch. My friends Drew completely underestimated how long the hike was, but it mattered not because we found a loop trail and I was able to shoot some of the coolest photos I have taken in the United States. it was a perfect end to a perfect day.

Views from the mountainside.

Concerning Public Disparities

Through the cracks of my lips and the curled tufts at the end of my cheeks, I am forced to push forward a smile and talk about the good luck that I have had throughout my life. Although never affluent or markedly gifted to the point where it had brought me National or Global notoriety, I was able to work hard and use the talents I was given a gift to make quite a meaningful life for myself. So, forthright and wholeheartedly today, I'm talking about a very different subject altogether. Yea, I plead, I am here to discuss the circumstances less fortunate than my own.

Poverty-stricken communities are traveling all around the globe, more so often than not. As individuals walk around and Louis Vuitton suits and Versace underwear, with their Lamborghini Gallardo sitting in their garage and their very comfortable 401K plan and stock portfolio regenerating itself and the offset backgrounds, at least 75% of the rest of our globe is suffering. This is what first drew me into health and social sciences, anthropology, and the study of public policy from a freelance perspective. There are so many individuals around the globe that you're not kind of Market on these Enterprises, much less understand them even in their native tongue, and it is the reason why I always have dressed as simply and as frugally as possible.

Although I travel quite a good amount, I'm never rolling and the financial circumstances too late for have Ashley when I do so. nay, I go very basic and barebones, usually only consuming a meal and a half a day and either walking or taking it as much public transport as possible. I mostly do this out of humility, as there are many other individuals that could use the food.

Every single day, there are more human lives that are lost that contribute to the growing epidemic of genocide. Everybody has fingers two points the blame, but no heart to accept the blame for themselves. It is everybody's responsibility, truly, to try and move this world into a better place. It is possible if we try, although it will take quite a long time.

And so truly, my heart goes out to anyone who is stricken by shame, poverty, salmon, or any other misfortune. Instead of donating to your bank account, take a few seconds 2 donate to a charitable cause, or volunteer at one. There's a lot of work to be done, and it starts with us.

America's Capital City

When I was halfway through college I took a day trip to Washington, D.C. I had been here before in middle school, but this time, I came with just two other friends to enjoy the city and some museums. For this post, I'm going to reflect upon past experiences in the city, as well as my trip in my twenties.

When I first went in 8th grade, I was socially awkward. I had like three good friends, and I was constantly trying to mack on the pretty girls in my 8th grade class. Unfortunately, all of this was to no avail. I did, however, make some friends, see a lot of the major monuments, and managed to get lost once or twice. This was my first experience having a cell phone as well, so I had my best friend's number on speed dial for this reason. Seeing the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial and Natural History Museum were all quite entertaining, and the Air and Space Museum blew me off my feet as well.

But I returned later in life, I learned that it made more sense to take the subway everywhere instead of driving through crazy traffic, and to plan time for two or three really excellent museums. And so, that's exactly what I did. I hopped in the car for my friend’s house in Westminster Maryland, and from there we headed for the nearest DC subway stop. We got a special deal on cost of parking (which always comes in handy, mind you), bought a day pass for the subway line, and headed for center city.

Upon arrival, we were blown away by the sheer amount of stuff that there is to be found in the city. I came back a few months later to experience the National Zoo and see their beautiful pandas again, but even this was not quite as awesome as being lost in the big metropolitan DC. We staggered around, eventually stumbling upon the Native American History Museum. We thenceforth went to the Space Museum, learning about astral science and whatnot.

At both museums, there were massive gift shops, and a plethora of history lessons. If you are reading this, understand that science is an important part of our evolutionary past, and that it is important to understand the world around us. Also understand that if you're looking to understand the world around us and the science behind it, going to the Smithsonian museums in Washington DC is a perfect way to do so. They are fun, competitively inexpensive (with most of them being free), and also very relaxing. In actuality, I would argue that the museums and history are probably the number one reason to visit Washington DC.

If you're still not sold, know that there are plenty of clubs and bars, good restaurants, movie theaters, concert venues, and other exciting things. I can personally attest to the National Zoo and concert venues there, as I've been to both and give both very good feedbacks. The capital of America is a city to be experienced for and by yourself, and absolutely worth a day trip. I am lucky that I only lived about two hours away from the state capital, so it was pretty cost-efficient to spend a day there.

My Ancestry

Growing up, I was always told that I was a variety of different ethnicities. I grew up believing that I was part Native American, Pennsylvania Dutch, in German. Eventually consulted with my grandmother on my dad's side, and found out that apparently, I was also French and English. At the time, my parents and I were skeptical. But one day, I decided to have my genome sequenced, and my ancestry plainly laid out for me. This will be the day that I would see without a shred of a scientific doubt once and for all what I am.

23andMe is an interesting concept that allows you to send a saliva sample to a laboratory and received genetic testing results within 6 weeks. For the basic $99 kit (with some occasional discounts), you can have this company sequence your genome to figure out where your ancestry lies. For an additional $100, you can also have them test for health problems that may arise, who exactly your ancestors were, your risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases, and what you inherited from who. This time around, I did the basic model, as it was on sale at the time for $60.

Growing up, I was told that I was European, which made sense given my markedly white skin. But when I asked for an explanation about my tan complexion and why my eyes slant when I smile, I didn't get many explanations. I was told it was because I was Native American, but others thought that I was some sort of Asian. I didn't believe them, until I received my ancestry results. 

As it turns out, I was the first one in my family to have my genome sequenced, growing up I was told it I was European which made sense given my markedly white skin. But when I asked for explanation about my tan complexion and why my eyes slant when I smile, I was told it was because I was Native American. Yet, others thought that I was some sort of Asian. I didn't believe them until I received my ancestry results. As it turns out I was the first one of my family to have my genome sequenced, which meant that I would be the first to know for sure.

After questioning both sets of grandparents, I deduced that I was French, British, Dutch, German, and Native American. When I got my results though, I was surprised to learn that this was not entirely the case. Yes, my makeup was definitely markedly German. However, even though I was about 60% German, I was also about 20% British and French both. It turns out that I was not Native American at all, but I have Italian, Iberian, Scandinavian, and South Asian (Indian specifically) in me. I learned what my paternal and maternal haplogroups were, and as it turned out, I also found that about 2% of my DNA is comprised of Neanderthal. As it turned out, I was quite The Eclectic mixture of things.

If you've ever had a question you haven't been sure about regarding your ancestry, it's best to get checked. You can then send your reports from 23andMe to Promethease and they will sequence your genome results to predict for hereditary illnesses and other things for much cheaper than 23andMe does. Or if you want the complete report, of course, continue forward with 23andMe. By the way around, it's quite interesting to learn where you come from, and a worthwhile investment.

If you are interested in sequencing your genome to determine your ancestry, you can use this link to 23AndMe’s website to figure it out for sure.